Beth Ruggiero
Woodland
Summary
A results-driven professional with over 23 years of CalSTRS experience. Successful in managing defined benefit (DB) and defined contribution (DC) accounts and ensuring compliance with Teachers' Retirement Law. Proven track record of optimizing plan performance, overseeing five complex workloads and leading a team to streamline processes to provide member and employer satisfaction. Adept at providing exceptional customer service, making informed decisions, and building lasting relationships across all levels of the organization. Known for a strong ability to drive team performance, enhance operational efficiency, and contribute to the overall success of the agency.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
Work History
Pension Program Manager I, Benefit Adjustment Team
Service Retirement, CalSTRS
West Sacramento
09.2015 - Current
- Provide leadership and guidance to staff who maintain complex workloads, including the community college comparison calculation, postretirement earnings limit and exemptions, unused sick leave, the CalSTRS Retirement Incentive Program, and school employer audits.
- Establish and maintain a trusted relationship with union representatives and employers.
- Foster a high-performing, inclusive culture focused on accountability, innovation, and service excellence.
- Crafted a workgroup with internal business partners for the implementation of states of emergency and for communicating changes to members, employers, and stakeholders, including ACSA and CCSESA.
- Identified a population of incorrect accounts and spearheaded a project for the division to review 1,150 accounts, implementing corrections to 690. Led a team of analysts and worked diligently with Accounting, Customer Service, and Technology Services to finalize.
Associate Pension Program Analyst, Calc Team
Service Retirement, CalSTRS
West Sacramento
07.2013 - 08.2015
- Administered postretirement option changes alongside IRC415 and school employer audits.
- Created detailed tracking log for school employer audits, providing regular updates to senior leadership.
- Exhibited high levels of initiative and transparency with peers and leadership.
- Established a cross-functional team with representatives from Audits, Employer Services, Service Retirement, and Accounting to ensure completeness and compliance of the audit workload.
- Volunteered to participate on the Analytical Round Table (ART) team to assist with division initiatives and gain leadership tools.
- Assisted with the Pension Solution preparation project, interviewing staff about their workload, and identifying pain points for our new administration system.
- Developed a training tool for the division to assist them in reading employer payroll lines within START.
Pension Program Analyst
Employer Services, CalSTRS
West Sacramento
05.2010 - 07.2013
- Reviewed employer payroll for accuracy, requesting necessary corrections and guidance for CalSTRS submissions.
- Maintained primary contact for county offices of education, offering timely support on Teachers' Retirement Law inquiries.
- Contributed to development of Compensation Review Unit by creating workflow documentation and tracking sheets.
- Established positive relationships with employers and stakeholders to foster collaboration.
- Developed job aids and implemented procedural changes to enhance quality assurance.
Education
CA State University Sacramento
Sacramento, CASacramento City College
Sacramento, CAEmerging Leadership
CalSTRSPeer Learning Group, 2022-2023
CalSTRSSkills
- Pension administration
- Risk analysis and management
- Data analysis
- Audit management
- Problem solving
- Customer relationship management
- Effective communication
- Team engagement and leadership
- Flexible and adaptable
- Stakeholder engagement
CliftonStrengths
- Empathy
- Context
- Adaptability
- Includer
- Harmony
Timeline
Pension Program Manager I, Benefit Adjustment Team
Service Retirement, CalSTRS
09.2015 - Current
Associate Pension Program Analyst, Calc Team
Service Retirement, CalSTRS
07.2013 - 08.2015
Pension Program Analyst
Employer Services, CalSTRS
05.2010 - 07.2013
CA State University Sacramento
Sacramento City College
Emerging Leadership
Peer Learning Group, 2022-2023